1 Injured After Fire Burns Through 5 Jersey City Homes
JERSEY CITY, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- A fire burned through five homes in Jersey City on Friday afternoon, injuring one person.
Cindy Bowen held back tears as she talked about her father, Alfred Bowen, who turns 77 on Wednesday. She says he was rescued from the three-alarm fire that started in their home, and he suffered serious burns to his feet, hands and face.
"I'm blank, but I thank God for life. I'm alive. My parents are alive," Bowen said.
Leo Balbuena says he saw flames pouring out of the home and jumped into action, banging on the door that leads to the second floor, where he found Alfred Bowen.
"I wanted to get him out and get him across the street," Balbuena said.
As CBS2's Thalia Perez reports, crews were sent to Van Horne Street between Communipaw and Bramhall avenues just after 4 p.m.
It took about 90 firefighters and almost two hours before it was under control.
"We were here within three minutes of the initial call. When we got here, the first building had heavy fire, and it was already extending to four other buildings," Jersey City Fire Chief Steven McGill said.
Five multi-family dwellings were damaged, mostly on the upper floors.
Bowen says she is grateful Balbuena, a neighbor whom she's known her whole life, was in the right place at the right time and helped rescue her dad, who was home alone.
"I just want to tell him thank you. Words can't say enough. Thank you," Bowen said.
Officials say over a dozen residents are displaced, like Shawn Colclough, who says she was able to get back in her apartment and pack some of her belongings.
"I was at work. My nephew called me and told me it was a fire and told me it started two houses down," Colclough said.
The Red Cross is helping 14 displaced residents from nine families find temporary shelter.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
CBS2's Thalia Perez contributed to this report.
